Despite lobby efforts from the Natural Products Association (NPA) and a veto from California Governor Gavin Newsom, the California State Assembly Health Committee advanced Assembly Bill 82 (AB 82), which would restrict access to dietary supplements.

“The NPA has worked in good faith with the California Department of Public Health to educate them on dietary supplement safety, efficacy and regulations,” said Daniel Fabricant, PhD, president and CEO of the NPA. “As we have seen across the country, there are legislators who ignore the realities of science to promote their agenda.”

The NPA has battled similar proposals nationwide, including submitting testimony, engaging in grassroots campaigns and collaborating with state executives so they can better understand the dietary supplement industry, the association said. In December 2023, the NPA filed a lawsuit in New York, arguing the state’s supplements ban is unconstitutional. The NPA also testified against a supplements ban in Massachusetts in November 2023.

Supplements are often the first step many people take toward greater nutritional awareness and healthy lifestyle choices, the NPA said.

“As we have demonstrated repeatedly in public testimony and official correspondence to the Governor and to California public heath officials, there is not a single data point connecting the use of eating disorders and dietary supplements,” Fabricant said. “If there were, the FDA would be required to remove that product from the market.”

For more information, visit the NPA’s website.  To read the full bill, visit this link.